New routine, over traning and is my back routine to much

[FreeDOOM]

I have recently made some changes to my whole routine because i feel that I was possibly over training. I was doing too many sets with to much intensity, for example on chest day I would do 15 maybe more sets and take each one to failure. I have decided to do 12 sets per body part taking only 2 o 3 sets toward the end to failure. My question is this is 12 sets for back enough to cover all the major muscles? I dont feel it covers it for me. here is sample what i plan to do on back days
4 sets of Chin-ups x 9-12 reps
4 sets of barbell or T-bar rows x 8-10 reps
4 sets of shoulder shrugs X 8-10 reps
4 sets of upright close grip barbell row "focusing on traps"
4 sets of good mornings X 8-10
4 sets of hyper- extensions 8-10

24 total sets. The reason is this 8 sets target lats and middle back, 8 sets for traps and 8 sets for lower back. I personally dont feel this is to much since I am focusing the exercise on multiply muscle groups just not one.

[AdamGH]

IMO, I would try just picking 3 exercises for the back and do 4 sets with each. The shrugs I wouldn't count as a back exercise, but thats just me. Rotate your exercises every 4-6 weeks so you don't get bored and you will stimulate your muscles better. I think personally 12 sets is plenty and works for me.

Like my back exercise is:

Lat pull downs(front): 4x10
Dumbbell rows: 4x10
Seated cable rows: 4x10


I go heavy as I possibly can and Im pretty beat afterwards. On my last set if I can only do 8 reps then it is ok as well. Im always trying to push myself to go heavier.

[Flex-Appeal]

personally i do 5 exercises for the back, i do traps with shoulders though (even though ur traps are on your back*)

[FreeDOOM]

IMO, I would try just picking 3 exercises for the back and do 4 sets with each. The shrugs I wouldn't count as a back exercise, but thats just me. Rotate your exercises every 4-6 weeks so you don't get bored and you will stimulate your muscles better. I think personally 12 sets is plenty and works for me.

Like my back exercise is:

Lat pull downs(front): 4x10
Dumbbell rows: 4x10
Seated cable rows: 4x10


I go heavy as I possibly can and Im pretty beat afterwards. On my last set if I can only do 8 reps then it is ok as well. Im always trying to push myself to go heavier.

so you dont train lower back?

[AdamGH]

so you dont train lower back?

My back gets a full workout. Do I isolate my lower back with exercise? no, i do not.

[Jfew44]

My lower back gets a good enough workout on leg day so I'm not too worried about working it back day as well.

[Jakspro]

I dont know about this. I personally like this 'type' of workout for my back. However, I would change it to something like this:

Pull-ups: 3 sets X 6-10 reps (this is a warm-up exercise for me. Get static holds and stretch well, get the blood flowing)

Deadlifts : 3 sets X 10 reps (High Intensity - This will hit your lower-back and replace your Hyper-Extensions)

BB Rows : 2 sets X 10 reps (Keep intensity high, concentrate on the lats. You only have 2 sets so make them damn worth it)

T-Bar Rows : 2 sets X 10 reps (Same as the BB Rows, make them count)

Seated Rows : 3 sets X 20 reps (My back has a huge pump at this point, I personally like getting as much blood flow going so I added a higher rep to failure cable rows. With lower weight I can concentrate on the muscle contraction)

Lat pull downs: 3 sets X 10 reps (If you aren't failing at 8-10 reps then you need to increase your weight on the previous exercises.)

This might not work for all, but it added a good thickness to my back. I will say though, I do listen to my body, and I do take 2 days off after back day.

[jethro1]

I think ur still doing way more than u need. Work traps with shoulders and u can knock 4 sets off right there. 3-4 exercises, 3-4 sets is plenty 4 back. My back routine.

Reverse grip pulldowns hammer strength/ 4 sets including warm up set

bent over rows 3 sets

wide grip pulldown 3 sets

seated cable rows 3 sets

My back is trashed by the end, and thats only 12 sets.

[FreeDOOM]

yeah I get what you guys are saying its funny how different all our exercise routines are! I was thinking about switching traps to shoulder and triceps day except I also do forearm extensors that day so it would just add that much more load. I most definitely want keep my lower back exercises in there.

[mkrulic]

Im surprised at all the people who put deadlifts on back day. I think it makes more sense to seperate the core and rest of the back. I put lower back w/ hamstings

[Posideon]

Bro you are doin way too many sets...

[FreeDOOM]

Bro you are doin way too many sets...

why do you say that/ The back is not one muscle but many. Think about it when you train your biceps brachii you are preforming exercises that target just those two muscles both of which work together to preform the same motion on the ante-brachial. So you can easily preform 12 sets all of which work the target muscle. For your leg routine do you do 12 sets of leg presses and thats it? i doubt it, you probably do isolation exercise that target leg exstensors, flexors, calves maybe even exercise for hip abduction and adduction. The back is the same way it takes different exercises to work the whole back. For instances if you do chin ups you dont work the lower back, if you do rows you are not working the lats. I just dont see how performing 12 sets of pull downs or rows works the entire back. just my .02$

[AdamGH]

why do you say that/ The back is not one muscle but many. Think about it when you train your biceps brachii you are preforming exercises that target just those two muscles both of which work together to preform the same motion on the ante-brachial. So you can easily preform 12 sets all of which work the target muscle. For your leg routine do you do 12 sets of leg presses and thats it? i doubt it, you probably do isolation exercise that target leg exstensors, flexors, calves maybe even exercise for hip abduction and adduction. The back is the same way it takes different exercises to work the whole back. For instances if you do chin ups you dont work the lower back, if you do rows you are not working the lats. I just dont see how performing 12 sets of pull downs or rows works the entire back. just my .02$

less is more sometimes man. if it works for you, keep at it. i would just be afraid over training. if you can do that many sets, then you arent going heavy enough imo. do whats best for you though.

[ray0414]

that workout looks fine cause hes hitting different areas of the back.hes hitting the lats, traps and lower back. i prefer pullups over chinups myself, works the lats better. technically with YOUR back workout, your only doing 2 excersizes for your lats, which might not even be enough believe it or not.

[FreeDOOM]

that workout looks fine cause hes hitting different areas of the back.hes hitting the lats, traps and lower back. i prefer pullups over chinups myself, works the lats better. technically with YOUR back workout, your only doing 2 excersizes for your lats, which might not even be enough believe it or not.

finally someone who agrees with me lol. I know that it looks like a lot of exercises and it is but you have to remember i am not doing 24 sets of lats only 8 so like you said mayber its not enough for them. You figure most people dont even work lower back unless it gets it work on squat day or maybe through some dead lifting. Also i think a lot of peeps target traps on shoulder days. So you take those out and I am only doing 8 sets.

[green22]

IMO you are making things way to complicated. try this:

pull ups
BB rows
deads

4 sets of each and swich the order u use them up. thats 12 sets, you can throw in the shrugs at the end if ya like but I wouldnt count them as back movements. If you do the 3 movements 100% then your concerns about this part and that part geting trained or not will be covered. Trust me!!

[binder]

Bro you are doin way too many sets...

how so?

12-18 sets per muscle group is what most powerlifters will do. That is standard recommendation.

that gives a person 3 or 4 exercises per muscle group. So you do 4 chest exercises with 4 sets in each exercise and that's 16 sets for your chest. that's not really all that many. Taking each one to failure might be a bit much, but that's not too many sets.

[ray0414]

also i would switch your chin ups to pull ups.

[FreeDOOM]

also i would switch your chin ups to pull ups.

yep I was planning on it.